Sweet Ride

We are preparing to drive to Indiana on Friday. We have never done this before with the boys, but my anxiety about the whole thing just decreased substantially. Dan's boss knew that we were planning to make the drive in our Jetta, so he offered to rent a mini-van for us instead! I am so excited to go now!!! The boys will be out of range of each other, there will be a mounted tv, I will be able to change diapers on the floor.... The possibilities are endless! Thank you, Dr. And Mrs. Esclamado for helping us!

Speaking of sweet rides....Luke had his first stroller ride today and was happy the whole ride/construction site experience. Pushing a stroller is so much easier when you are not wearing a baby, too!

Christmas Card

Will you count this as our Christmas card?

We love all of your real cards, and love getting to see your pictures throughout the year on our refrigerator....so thankful for great friends over the years!

Come to me

My deepest desire this Christmas is that we and those we love would come to Jesus.  Why is this so hard this season???   

It has been a long week for us, and this morning I was not feeling the Christmas spirit at all....felt myself wanting to snap at the boys at every turn...not their fault.  The load did not feel easy this week, as was evidenced in this morning's whinny, impatient, blah.

God has been teaching me what his promise from Matthew 11:28-30 means. It says, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and by burden is light. " 

The victory has been won in Jesus.  My soul is at rest.  The "blah" morning is not the measure of my success or failure as a mom.  I have hope because Jesus redeems my failures and repurposes them for his good purposes. Crazy to me, that He is using my "fail" parenting moments to work out his good purposes just as much as the stuff I'm proud of.  Thank you, Jesus.  I strive, but the burden has been lifted with that hope. 

  

Please, Jesus, bring Calvin, Jack, and Luke's hearts to you (and all those who don't know you), that they would know rest for their soul in all their strivings.

Here's some of what we've been up to this week:

We raked leaves and celebrated Hockey's birthday...Calvin and Jack enjoyed "helping." Jack tried so hard to pile leaves on top of his little red rake and dump them into the trash can like me and Cal. He's not tall enough, so they would just tumble onto his head. He'd bat them away from his eyes and mouth and try again. I think sitting in the pile ended up being much more satisfying for him!   

We made and decorated "Christmas" cookies with some friends, too! I use "Christmas" liberally because we had to improvise without cookie cutters. We ended up with circles, rectangles, squares, and random prints of Jack's hand. They boys loved it......God made Jack's hand and all those shapes, so I'm counting it. The frosting and sprinkles make anything look festive anyway!  

Like did a lot of sitting up on the floor. He's doing a lot better with it!

And here Jack is reading to Luke. So sweet!

Christmas tree and hot cocoa

Cal used to call it ma-chi-chi. Now Jack calls it mis-mis-tee. They both loved setting it up. Jack has an uncanny eye for burned out bulbs...he found one immediately and keeps asking me to turn it on.

Pook me up!

We had a 6 month doctor's appointment for Luke on Thursday, and it was pretty discouraging.  I did not realize how much stock I was putting in Luke developing normally until we left and I felt dejected.  He is weighing in at 14 lbs, which puts him under the growth chart curve.  He has rigid muscle tone, which means that he will not easily relax his limbs. Therefore, his mobility is impeded...not rolling over or sitting up. All the big milestones! 

All that to say, I am actually pretty encouraged after the last couple days....

We've been pushing calorically dense solids, and thankfully, he is starting to open his mouth! 

And he rolled onto his tummy to sleep at nap today!   

Jack's articulation improving every day, but he still says some really cute things. When he wants to be pushed into the table he says in his little sing-song, "Pook me up!" (scoot me up). Cal has now adopted it.  He asks us at every meal, "Hold my feet!" He means "foot." And he just always wants to be touching. I love having this little foot on my leg.

And this is just melts my heart...I peeked in this morning to see Calvin reading a Franklin book to Luke. Luke eats up all the attention he can from his brothers.  I wish I could have heard Cal's rendition of the story!

Closer

Calvin has a stomach bug, so he has a cot on the floor tonight. At bedtime Jack immediately changed his usual sleeping position to have his head near Cal. Apparently that wasn't close enough... We just went in to check on the boys, and here is what we found. I'd say they are doing alright.

All By Myself

I remember not wanting to read a book called Little Critter: All By Myself to Calvin....way back when. I know my own tendency to want to do everything independently out of pride instead of recognizing my need for help from God and others. Somehow I thought I could shelter him from his own little sinful heart. 

Jack has started saying "I do all my sel-p."  Turns out, I know it is good...God created good pride as well as sinful pride. These guys love to watch their bodies and skills grow. Calvin delights in being able to touch the counter, dress himself, and ride his bike. Jack does a little happy dance and laugh when he slips his shoes onto his own feet, threads his own arms into his shirt sleeves, and gets his own milk out of the refrigerator. 

And I am so proud of them, too....

Jack has been vacuuming with the attachment lately, and he has a little hop in his step. Wish I had that same hop when I was vacuuming! 

Calvin has been increasingly taking responsibility for both Jack and Luke. He'll say, "Mommy, I take care of my brothers." And he really does. He'll help Jack open doors on toys and hand dropped toys back to Luke to make him happy. Yesterday he just asked to hold Luke...of course I had to get a picture.

Though I'm sure he'll be even happier when he's able to move around on his own instead of just perch on his elbows and hold his toys to bite them, he seems to be pretty content as a dependent for now!

Lest I made yet another construction site post....I'll share about our experience there this morning here. 

We had front row seats again, and we got a drive by from the dump truck and excavator. Actually, the excavator driver rolled his truck right next to us and got out inviting the boys to go for a ride. Of course they declined, but I would have loved for them to get to do that! Maybe someday. Maybe I should have just gone! =)  

The driver waved/ talked to us a couple times. At one point he stopped to tell me that he first started riding in diggers on his grandfather's lap when he was Cal's age. He drove his first digger when he was 13, and now he is 54 and wouldn't be doing anything else. 

I hope the guys find an occupation that they love that much someday.  For right now, Cal says he'd choose to drive the excavator and Jack says he'd choose the dump truck. That sounds about right.

Good morning

I have so many reasons to celebrate this morning...A fun time at a new park, church with friends, McDonald's in the car for lunch, Dan off for the day...

But my favorite 2....shaven husband and Starbucks!

Movember and other antics

I am not too upset that November is coming to a close. Actually, I didn't mind it when it started. I always think Dan looks handsome with a little scruff. However, he has claimed the excuse of "Movember" to grow a full on beard, and recently cut a mustache.   If Luke and the boys were able to grow a mustache, I'm sure they would, but for now, they have to settle for other antics.

Like...

Calvin's fireman's coat....he asked Dan to button it up like they do when they are getting ready to go into the fire. Apparently that means buttoned all the way up with a hood under the hat.  Jack prefers to just take his shirt off to run every chance he gets.

Luke's solid food. We keep trying, but he's just not too interested. The good news is, he has moved past the shudder every time we put a spoonful in his mouth. He swallows a few bites, anyway.

Calvin's new place for his naptime "buddies."  The location has been constant, but it is always something different in Cal's mind. On this day, I think Moose and Clifford were on a suspension bridge. Jack has been waking up early from his nap and helping me wake Cal. He is so happy when he first wakes up, announcing "I awake!" We then have been reading together before waking up Cal. 

Reading with Jack.   Mrs. O'Leary's Cow has been the book of choice this week. This video pretty much sums up what it is like to read with Jack.....dropping/retreiving Bird and Duckie, question after question, and such sweet time.  He even threw in a little "I don't!" at the end.....that is his "no" these days. 

This was my attempt to wake Cal today. Jack and Luke playing right next to his sleepy head. It didn't work....

Jack looking up to Calvin.  Not only has Jack started talking more frequently and intelligibly this month, but he has also shown an increased reliance on his brother for answers. In the mornings, the boys play with the books in their room. Here Cal was reading to Jack. I love the question/answer throughout....until the end, that is. I guess they are 3 and 2.

Thankful

Uncle Ben, Grandma, and Papaw are all headed back home, and we miss them already. I am so thankful that they celebrate us being us.....including appreciating robot and spiderman going to Kroger, REI, and on walks. Calvin's robot costume is now a serious option for him when I tell him it is time to put on a sweatshirt to go outside. Little goober! Earlier on this walk Jack had his Spiderman hat position so that his left ear was peeking through one of the eye holes. Sweet buddy!

I am so thankful that they get excited about what we are excited about....including these parachute guys that Calvin saved to assemble and play with when Uncle Ben and Papaw arrived.

And that they love our boys so much. These guys had to have some sweet dreams this week with so many people to reading, praying, and giving them kisses and hugs before bedtime.  We had a sweet time with you! 

Jack and B

Jack has given Uncle Ben a new nickname....B. I think it is going to stick, if frequency of use is any indication.  The name suggests the closeness that I see between the two. 

The two have been horses together....

Fixed the entryway light.....

Jack was very concerned that Ben was not going to be alright. He kept pleading with each of us to "Helf B get Doooooown!"

And raked the yard...

Luke pretty much likes everyone, but especially Grandma and Papaw.